How to Save Leftover Egg Yolks

What do you do with a surplus of egg yolks? The obvious answers are to make custard or ice cream or mayonnaise, or something else that uses egg yolks. But sometimes we don’t always want to make something just to use something else up. When I separate eggs for a recipe, most often I end up with a ton of egg whites. On occasion, though, I have leftover egg yolks and if I’m not using them immediately (such as using them in custard) I save them for future use by freezing them.

There is a way to freeze egg yolks and still be able to use them afterward, which is by stabilizing them. Egg yolks are gelatinous and they need a stabilizer, otherwise when you thaw them they won’t return to their previous state. A stabilizer is usually a sweetener, such as sugar, or a preservative like salt, depending on what you plan to use the yolks for.

Here’s how to prepare your egg yolks for freezing. This is how I do it.

Gently stir the yolk, breaking it.

Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of honey per egg yolk. (If for savoury purposes, use 1/8 teaspoon of salt.)

To have the egg yolks available for individual use, pour the egg yolks into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, pop or scoop out of the tray and store in a container or freezer bag, clearly labeled and with the date.

When you want to use them, thaw the amount you need in the fridge and use them according to the recipe’s instructions. 1 cube is the equivalent of 1 egg yolk. (Since the yolks are sweetened, or have additional salt, subtract that amount from the recipe.)

5 thoughts on “How to Save Leftover Egg Yolks”

I’ve read about this tip many times, and know from many others that it works, but I’ve never actually done it. Thanks for the reminder, Zoe! Oh, and I knew the part about adding salt, but not that one could add honey for future sweet uses.

Hi Shirley, I’d never tried it before either but it does work. 🙂 It’s great because no egg yolks are wasted – I always think it’s a shame when they’re just thrown out because there’s “no use” for them.

Zoe, one of my favorite ways to use egg yolks is to just scramble/hard cook them and then crumble them (hot or cold) over salad. I LOVE egg yolks so those little bits of tasty yellow are a real treat to me. 🙂 They are also great to make a pretty, golden glaze on cut out cookies. Just brush a little on before baking.